Subaqueous foundation.



To all 4'whom it may concern:

ALBERT r. EELLs, or BosToN, imsslioHUsETTs.

sUBAQUEoiJs FOUNDATION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 4, 1908.

Application med November 21, 1907. seri-,a No. 403,1i7.

Be it known that I, ALBERT F. EELLs, af

' citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and' useful Im )rovement in Subaqueous Foundations Iitih the T ower or Pier 'hieh They May Support, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to t ie accompanying drawing.

My invention relates to the construction of foundations for lighthouses, piers, &c., and is intended `to providemeans b Y which such structures can be located atpomts ordinarily inaccessible and where such structures cannot be built in the ordinary way for the reason of surrounding difliculties, and because the difficulty of transporting material and holding it in readiness for use in the building u i of such structures as ordinarilyr practiced. Iliave overcome the serious difficulties above enumerated by hereinafter described methods.

T he invention pertains more particularly to the construction of'masonry to be used under and above water, as piers, towels. etc., and more especially to structures to be placed at sea where by reasons of strong tides, seas, winds, etc., serious delays are caused and oftentimes the )artially completed work entirely destroyed and necessarily abandoned.

One of the primary objects of the invention is to rovide for the practical completion of the )aseand a portion of the tower or pier at a port or a point where the material can be readily obtained and easily handled.

After the base is constructed, it is loaded with the material, cement, machinerv,stores, framing, etc., for the completion of the structure, the floor of the base having previously been loaded with sufficient broken stone or other material sufficient to weight it and build up the tower to complete the work. The base thus constructed and equipped is then towed to the place where it is to be permanently located. The air previously introduced is then allowed to esca ie, when the bottom collapses by reason of t ie weight of the superstrmfture and the base sinks until it rests 'upon the bot-tom of the sea. The divers then enter and remove the frame and collapsed portion of the bottom. The sand is `caused :hen pumped out from within the base unt-il I the structure sinks to the required. depth.

After being sunk the sand is returned within the dome which may be entirely filled. The work of completing the tower or whatever superstructure is to be erected upon the .base is then proceeded with.

I provide the arched or dome portion of the base with scouring rings extending substantially laterally therefrom for the purpose of preventing the rapid streams of water )y obstructing the tide from washing away the sand from around the structure. I make the base dome shape of great breadth so as to obtain maximum carrying capacity.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed out by the appended claims.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing which, with the numerals of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which is shown a substantially central vert-ical section through the base and a portion of the tower,

being that portion which is built and thenr floated to its point of destination, where it is afterward sunk to the required depth.

In carrying out my invention I construct upon the shore a bottom or platform 1 preferably of wood sufficiently sti-ono` to withstand the weight to be borne thererby.

2 is a cutting edge preferably of metal restsoy ing upon the outer edge' of the platform 1 and surrounding the same. This cutting edge is secured to the bottom or )latform 1 by suitable means as the turn buclrles 3 whereby the two )arts are made fast and tight, suitable pacliing or gasket being employed if necessary Vto accomplish this purpose. This )latform with its cutting edge is then launched and floated to a position where the completion of the base will be carried on. A suitable framework 6 is then erected upon the said bottom or platform, said framework being suitably braced to give the requisite strength, and vthen upon the said bottom or platform is placed stone ft to be used in the com )letion of the tower after the base reac ies its destination. Broken .'stone in bags as represented at 5 is then' placed upon the plat form nearthe center thereof, as shown. A seow or float 16 is then placed upon the platform as indieatcd.- Next an air lock 7 is placed` in osition centrally, es shown, the said air lock eing surmounted bya pump 17 of known construction cr of any preferred form. Then a metallic dome 8 is placed in position, being secured rigidly and air tight to the 'inner wall of the cutting edge .2 and to the flange orbase of the air lock 7, as shown. The air pump is then started and pressure iiicreased withiii the dome as the work progresses, the pressure being proportioned to suit the con( itions of construction.

The cutting edge 2 is then filled with concrete oi" analogous material on which the whole structure will be supported. The structure is then built 'up'of any suitable character, for instance of concrete, as shown at 9, which may be reinforced with metal in any of t-lie well known or approved ways, it being understood of course that broken stone or other material may be employed in connection with the concrete.

10 designates scouring rings built integral with the portion 9, as srhown, and 11 designates a surrounding cable dis osed beneath these rings to which a towing ine 18 may-be attached for the pur ose of towing the struc-- ture to the place wiere it is to be permanently located. f

In completing the base the portion to be ermanently located above the water line is ibrnied with water compartments 15, a rooin above the same, as shown, and a balcony 12 above which t-he tower may be continued to any desired height, not necessary in this instance to show.

13 is a temporary iloor suspended above the dome in any suitable manner and designed to support barrels of cement 14, as

shoim, and which is designed for the further construction to be carried on.

The structure as shown in the drawing is then towed to final posit-ion. The air is then allowed to escape, whereupon the hill weight of the structure comino' upon the cutting edge as the structure sinks causes the bot-toni to collapse and the water ilows in. Then the interior framing and a portion of the collapsed f bottom is removed, the stone 4 having been first moved over toward the center for this` purpose. Then the sand pumps are started and sand removed from within the area `inclosed by the cutting edge, in proximity thereto until the structuresinks to site depth. A turned within t Then the stone 4 and 5 is removed and hoisted up to complete the tower to the required height, tlie cement 14 being used in connection with the stone for such urpose. After all of the stone 4 and 5 has een removed, as well as the scow 16, the interior of the dome may be further or completely filled with sandif desired, and u to any desired kheight above the top of the ome if found dethe requiportion of the sand is then rei ie dome, up around the edges.

sii-able. Ifiat any time after the structure is thus sunk, the sea bottom around the strucout and the structure again lowered into proper position, the steps followed being substantia y those as above outlined.

Modifications in detail may be resorted to without in any way departing from the spirit` of the invention or sacrificing any of its adl vantages.

What is claimed as new is 1. The method heieiiibefore described of lighthouses and like structures, the saine consisting in mounting said base, closed at the top, with its lower edge resting` upon a teniporary bottom, in forcing compressed air into the s )ace within said lbase and bottom, and in sin infr said base in place b releasin the air where y the bottoni is col apsed an the edges of the base sunk to the bottoni of the water.

ing and placinor a hollow base for piers, lighthouses and like structures, the saine consisting in providing a temporary bottom, in mounting on said bottoni a poited dome or shell having its edge resting on said bottom, in building the wall of said base on said dome or shell, in su orting saiddome and wall by air forced into the interior, and finally in releasing said air, whereby the bottom is collapsed and the base sunk to the bottom of the water.

3. The method of placing a hollow subaqueous base for piers, lighthouses and like structures, the same consisting in permitting compressed air in the s )ace within said base to esca )e and effect collapse of its bottom to allow t e base to sink to the bottom of the water, and then lilliug lthe space withintlie base with sand or analogous loose material to give stability to the structure.

4. A subaqueous base for piers, lighthouses and like structures comprising a liolglow wall built upon a temporary bottoni,

the space, substantially as described.

5. A siibaqueoiis base for piers, lighti houses and like structures comprising a wall built upon a suitably supported metallic shell and a temporary bottom on which the i base rests, substantially as described.v

6. The method of floating a suba ueous arched foundation which consists in c osing .tlie same underneath overcoming the upward pressure of the water against its bottom 2. The method herein described of buildturesh'ould shift, the sand may-bailIBMM lacing a hollow subaqiicous base for piers,`-

soA

suitably supsaid wall and bottoni inclosing lieriiietically by bracing said bottom against said upward .f pressure. 7. The method of Heating' a subaqueous i foundation which consists in closing the saine underneath overcoming the upward pressureof the water against its bottoni by the application of weight above said bottom.

8.v "ne method of floating a snbaqueous foundation which consists in closing the saine underneath the application of weight and air above the bottom to overcome the upward 9. The method of ioating a subaqueous foundation which consists in closing the saine underneath overcoming the upward pressure 5 pressure of the water affanst said bottom.

of the water against the bottom thereof, by

' the combined infiuence of air, weight and a 10 suitable bracing.

10. AA snbaqueousfoundation provided with a scouring ring.

Witnesses:

E. H. BOND, M. A. BOND.

ALBERT F. EELLS. 

